Spent 6 weeks chasing a title issue on a strip mall in Tulsa that should have taken 2 days

Found out the previous owner's LLC had been dissolved for 8 years but nobody filed the paperwork to clear the lien from the old mortgage. My attorney kept saying "we're almost there" for over a month while the deal sat in escrow. Has anyone else dealt with a title mess that ballooned out of control like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

robertsmith29d ago

Man, people get way too worked up about title stuff. A six week delay on a strip mall deal isn't the end of the world. You're not buying a house to live in, it's a commercial property. The buyer and seller are probably both used to delays. I've seen deals sit in escrow for way longer over dumber stuff like a missing signature on a water bill. Your lawyer's "almost there" is just standard lawyer talk to keep you calm. Unless you had a hard closing date with a penalty, it's really not that serious.

lilyfisher29d ago

@robertsmith is right that six weeks isn't the worst, but the key is making sure you’re not getting strung along without a firm plan. Next time, ask your attorney for a specific deadline on each outstanding document - that “almost there” talk turns into real progress when they know you’re tracking it weekly. Having a hard closing date with a small penalty in the contract can also light a fire under everyone.